


Love Language

by DodgerBear



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Boys In Love, M/M, Painting party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28173363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DodgerBear/pseuds/DodgerBear
Summary: Tami gets a history lesson.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 34
Kudos: 297





	Love Language

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little attempt at a short writing challenge 😍

Lip opened the fridge and pulled out a box of eggs, setting them on the counter and opening the lid. Inside was two eggs and a roll of cash bound by a hair tie. 

“Why the fuck do we have to go?” Mickey snarked while Lip counted out some bills. 

“You don’t.” Lip replied easily. “You can stay here and look after the kids while I go.”

Mickey glanced around the room and curled his lip. Freddie was in his carrier with Franny, Gemma and Amy running around in front of him, making him giggle. Combined with the music blasting and the adults screeching with laughter, the noise was at a level that could permanently damage hearing.

“Okay. We’ll go.” Mickey nodded. 

“Thought so.”

Ian snapped photos of the tins so they knew which paint to buy at the store and grabbed up his keys. “Come on.”

Mickey raised his eyebrows at Ian’s snapping tone and Lip met his gaze curiously. 

“Asshole is pissed because I got fired.”

“Again.” Ian chipped in. “For his attitude. Again.”

Mickey flipped him off and shoved him out of the door, leaving Lip staring after them with a distracted sigh. Tami leaned around the doorway and frowned in that judgemental way Lip hated and understood at the same time. 

“I don’t get it. Why did they even bother to get married if all they were gonna do is fight?”

Carl set down his paintbrush and wiped his hands. “It’s their love language.”

“Their what?” Kev barked a laugh. He was using his superior height to paint the places everyone else couldn’t reach and feeling like quite the man. 

“Love language. You know, it’s like, how they are. They talk shit and moan a lot but it’s how they show love.” Carl explained. 

Tami scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. “Whatever. They seem to waste a lot of energy being mad at each other. They haven’t been together very long and all they do is bicker...”

Her rant was cut off by the whole room bursting into various volumes of laughter. 

“Oh honey no.” Vee giggled. “They’ve been together forever and a day.”

“I don’t remember Mickey not being around.” Liam added with a fond smile. 

“Mickey was sometimes here when Ian wasn’t.” Debbie smiled wistfully at some memories she would rather forget. 

Carl chuckled and opened another round of beers. “They fight but they love each other. I think it’s nice.”

Tami was still frowning. “They just don’t seem...I dunno...compatible. Mickey can’t let his deadbeat family go,”

“Hey!” Sandy cried out. “ _I’m_ his fuckin deadbeat family.”

“I meant his father and you know it.” Tami rolled her eyes. 

“Wouldn’t hurt to spell it out.”

“Fine. Mickey can’t let TERRY go and Ian needs Mickey to be all upstanding citizen these days. Which is kinda impossible.”

Lip laughed hardest at that. “Yeah. Sometimes Ian forgets where he comes from. He’s so fuckin proud of being south side and yet can’t handle his husband showing it.”

The last of the paint finally ran out so they downed tools and sat down to rest until Ian and Mickey returned. Sandy dragged Debbie over to sit on her lap and Vee perched on Kevin’s legs. 

“Just because they’re not a cookie cutter couple doesn’t mean they aren’t right for each other.” Debbie said quietly. “They’re perfect _together_.”

Lip nodded and got back to cleaning brushes in the sink. A sudden memory jolted him and he quickly dried his hands. 

“Hey guys. Look what I found earlier...”

He dug into his pocket and pulled out a key chain. It was the cheap plastic kind that came from a funfair. A clear rectangle that held a faded picture from a photo booth. He passed it around to a mix of gasps and giggles. 

“Is that...?” Sandy howled. “Mickey?”

Lip grinned. “Oh yeah.”

Vee gasped joyfully. “They were just babies!”

Kev leaned over her shoulder and let out a booming laugh. “Ian must’ve been, what, sixteen there?”

“Yeah.” Debbie agreed. “We bought him that shirt for his 16th birthday.”

“Oh wow.” Carl laughed. “This must be the earliest record of their relationship.”

“Except Mickey never let it be called a relationship back then.” Lip said quietly, meeting Sandy’s level gaze. “Glad that changed.”

Sandy nodded in understanding. “It wasn’t safe back then. He couldn’t be like that for everyone to see.”

“That’s sad.” Liam murmured and they all fell silent at the truth in his words. 

The key chain finally reached Tami and she studied it carefully. It was Ian and Mickey sharing the photo booth stool. Ian was looking towards the camera with the cheesiest grin on his cute, freckled face. He looked like the happiest guy in the world with his arm wrapped around Mickey’s neck. But it was Mickey that had Tami taking another look. He wasn’t looking at the camera. His head was tilted to rest against Ian’s and he was looking up at him, his blue eyes just peeking out under his dark lashes. His skin was grimy and Tami thought she could see a black and purple bruise under his left eye but his face was lit with something like adoration when he was looking at Ian. 

“They look happy.” She sighed gently. 

Lip pulled her into his side and pressed his lips to her temple. “They were. They still are.”

“Yeah.” She agreed. “It’s kinda sweet. I mean, who ends up marrying their first love after all these years?”

Their moment of reflection ended abruptly when they heard a thud from the front of the house. Tami unwound herself from Lip and pulled open the door, only to have Ian and Mickey stumble inside. They were still attached at the lips and Ian’s hand was unmistakably stuck down the front of Mickey’s jeans. 

“Nice.” Carl snickered. 

“Ooh you get yours, boys.” Kev boomed. 

Ian extracted himself from Mickey and they righted themselves, not even having the grace to blush. “Hey guys.”

“Where’s the paint?” Lip craned his neck to look around. “Can’t have a painting party without it.”

Mickey scratched his neck and grinned. “We should really go pick that shit up now right?”

Tami was outraged and put her hands to her hips. “Have you just been making out on the porch all this time?”

Ian shrugged and grinned as he backed himself and Mickey out of the house. “Newlyweds. What’re you gonna do?”

Lip just laughed happily and tossed the long lost key chain at his brother. “Take your time.”


End file.
